Cards of Royals Chapter 2: Nine of Hearts

Alyssa picked her tip off the table, between the folded bill was another playing card. She watched the man leave the café and suppressed a shiver. That was why she hated serving him. 1

"Did he leave you another card?" Cassie strode over the tray in her hand held upright by her shoulder. Alyssa grimaced and pocket the ten dollar tip, flipping the card around to show her friend. "The nine of hearts huh? I see a pattern." 2

"That guy is really giving me the creeps." Alyssa looked at the card again and put that in her pocket too, not knowing what else to do with it. 3

The man, the one that left her the cards, waited for her to serve him everyday, or at least each time he came in, the visits had been closer together with each new card. He always left her a ten dollar tip and a playing card. Every time the card was from the suit of hearts, and each day it increased by one number. This was the ninth time he'd done it, there being the reason behind the card nine of hearts. She was starting to worry about what he'd do when he ran out of cards. She felt weird about it this time, like there was something different about this card, the nine of hearts. She felt like maybe she wouldn’t get to see him run out of cards.4

"I can understand." Cassie served the table at her left, leaving the cappuccinos and pastries with the customers. "It would freak me out too. What a weirdo." 5

"Yeah." Alyssa tried to hide her concern of the stranger. "He never talks to me either, just leaves me the card." 6

"It's probably nothing." Cassie tried to assure her, "Tell ya what, I'll cover him next time. No matter what," She folded the now empty tray under her arm and held out her pinky, "Promise." 7

Alyssa smiled and took it in her own short slender finger. "Thanks Cass." 8

"No problem, but hey Lys," She called to her as Alyssa made to serve her next customer, the girl turned around to show she heard, "Have Max take you home tonight, in fact have him take you home until that creep stops hanging around. Be safe." 9

Alyssa felt the heat race to her face, Max was a nice guy, he'd do anything if she asked him. But she hated to bother people with her problems. "Yeah, I guess, I'll talk to him later." 10

"Okay, you're sure you're fine Lys?" 11

"Never better." She put on a fake smile and added optimism to her voice as she left in search of Max. She found him in the kitchen, humming a random tune while backing another batch of cinnamon rolls. Flour powdered his chocolate hair and it was smudged on his cheek. A green apron was wrapped around his stick skinny figure and his crystal blue eyes were intently focused on measuring the perfect amount of the said ingredient that she now realized covered most of him. 12

He looked up at her arrival, although she was sure she'd been quiet enough not to disturb him. "Oh hey Alyssa." He grinned like a mad man when he saw her. "You feeling alright, you look a little…pale." His grin vanished. 13

"It's, it's ah nothing." She smiled again trying to reassure him. 14

"That creep was back again wasn't he!" It wasn't a question and Max's innocent face took on a darker look as he scowled at the repeat visit of Alyssa's coffee shop stalker. 15

"It's really nothing to worry about Max, I'll be fine, I'm a big girl." She went over to him and ruffled his hair, flour dust rose in the air. 16

"I don't know Lys," He sounded unconvinced, "I'll give you a ride home, you know I will." He offered, "I don't think you should be running around late at night." 17

"It's okay really." She said again. 18

"Just until you get your car back from the shop." He begged, eyes filled with worry, "I didn't like you taking the bus to begin with. Please Alyssa, let me do this for you." His face twisted into a mixture of concern and annoyance when he saw her shake her head no. 19

"Max I live in the opposite direction from you. I don't want to trouble you." 20

"You're not troubling me if I offer." He reasoned, "Really I don't mind at all, I don't care if you lived in the next state over, I don't want you to be traveling alone." 21

She took another look at his worried expression and gave in, "Fine Max, but just tonight." He looked at her sternly now, eyebrows raised in 'stop playing' gesture. "Fine, I'll let you drive me home every night, but just until my car's fixed." 22

He wrapped one arm around her neck and messed up her sun bleached yellow hair with the other one. "Deal." He laughed going from serious to playful. 23

Cassie stepped in at the minuet and giggled at the two. "Hey you two love birds, I'll see ya tomorrow." Alyssa rolled her eyes but Max only grinned wider.24

"You know there's nothing between us Cass." Alyssa's complaint went unrecognized as her friend continued. 25

"Don't let her tell you no Max, knock her unconscious and drag her to the car if you have to." 26

Max's smile got bigger then, if that was even possible, and he nodded, "Will do." 27

Alyssa grimaced at the dirty way Cassie had made that sound, anyone who'd heard that and not the previous conversation between her and Max was bound to let their mind wonder to a disturbing conclusion. 28

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"You done yet?" Max called out as he left the café. Alyssa was in the back finishing the fine cleaning detail required of the person who locks up after hours. 30

"Nearly." She shouted back, "I'll be done in a minuet, wait for me by the car." 31

Max nodded although she couldn't see, "Alright, don't take too long." And then he was out the door, on the way to his royal blue '95 Mustang GT, and maybe sneak a smoke before his friend bound out after him. No one knew he smoked, and he wanted to keep it that way. He wasn’t sure why, maybe he thought it would take away from his great personality, or something cheesy like that. The known fact that Alyssa also hated guys who smoked might of also contributed something to the decision. 32

"Kay!" Alyssa's voice rang out after him and she twisted the wet cloth she'd just used to wipe down all the counters in the sink. She really hated locking up, there was so much extra work involved, and she really hated that she'd made Max hang around longer then he'd had to so he could drive her home. That boy was so nice it hurt, seriously, she couldn't picture any of her other friends, well maybe Cassie, but no one else other then Max willing to give up precious time to drive her around when she could catch the bus and they could sleep. 33

With an exhausted sigh of relief Alyssa pushed through the back door of the Rabbit Hole café, planning to walk around to meet Max in the undersized parking lot. Instead she ran head first into what felt like a brick wall. 34

Taking a few stumbled steps backwards and ending up against the now locked door, she stared and cringed at the jack of hearts. The card dangled tauntingly in front of her. A scream stuck in her throat, Alyssa wearily raised her eyes over the rest of the figure that loomed before her. She half expected the man who wore the card around his neck to be the very same one that insisted to leave them with her tip. 35

It was quite clear, from his long inky hair and young face that the male she'd run into wasn't who she feared. He stared at her, hands in his pockets of his odd outfit and a bored look on his face. She relaxed slightly, until she met his eyes with hers. Orbs of an amber hue she'd never before seen on any human smoldered from behind the stray hair in his face. She tensed again as several emotions consecutively played across them within the second; shock, annoyance, confusion, and something that seemed like anger. 36

He continued to stare at her, his unusual eyes seeming to glow in the darkness of the alleyway around them. If she wasn't so scared out of her mind she might have even found the top-hat perched crookedly on his head amusing. Even as she inched from the doorway she found his appearance curious. As she planned her escape he made no motion other then to stare at her. In the end she squeaked an apology for running into him and hurried off. 37

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Jack watched the girl flee, terror of something clear in her eyes. He had no idea why she was here in the first place. He looked down at the card, it was resting flat against the middle of his chest. He'd strung a nylon cord through it's corner, and taken to using it as an accessory. That rectangular piece of paper, if anything, seemed to have frightened her the most. He wondered how such a thing could put anyone in such a state, he came up with no reasonable explanation. 39

Maybe she would have been fine if he hadn't been wondering alleys at night. Maybe she would have strayed off in the wrong direction without his presence to muddle her thought, it's not like he was there to do anything in particular, he was just talking a walk after all. The last thing he'd expected was to run into anyone in this type of place, at this time of night, let alone a paranoid café waitress. 40

All those maybes meant little when he hear the scuffle in the dark depths of the direction he'd just come from. There was a muffled shriek and a gasp and he cursed his conscious, the one that made him turn around. He was after all the one who'd startled her down towards the man rather then to where ever she was going off to, or maybe he hadn't maybe she'd meant to take that way all along. It was too late for maybes now. 41

He'd seen the man laying there on his stroll down, Jack had without question assumed the man to be sleeping off liquor. Although he'd disapproved of his location to do so, Jack had left him be. Now it seemed that the drunk wasn't as out as he'd first assumed. 42

Muttering under his breath he moved backwards, retracing his steps in the direction he'd just come form. The soft sounds of the worn boots under his slacks making small echoes against the brick of the surrounding buildings. Up a head he heard hushed voices and the panicked whimpers of the girl. 43

He had her against a wall, one arm pinning her there, the other clamped tightly over her mouth as he leaned close to her and whispered in her ear. With a sigh Jack placed his hand on the occupied man's shoulder. He turned his face around with a snap, "What do you want buddy? I'm busy." The words were a drunken slur. 44

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"Leave the lady alone." Alyssa stared wide eyed at the arrival of the stranger she'd plowed into barley a minuet before. Was he here to save her? His pale face was cast in a serious expression, the muscle of his bare arm were little bulges as he seemingly relaxed, rested it on her attacker's shoulder. 46

This man, the drunk that had her pinned to the wall was the one she was afraid of now. Suddenly the handsome stranger with glowing eyes didn't seem so dangerous. He'd let he go after all. Even in all the haze created by adrenaline and fear Alyssa knew enough to know the drunk was her stalking customer. As if the word he had whispered in her ear weren't enough. They still echoed in the confusion, 'You're the ninth.' He'd chuckled at her then, his alcohol stained breath suffocating her, 'The ninth little queen of hearts, now it's off with your head.' He'd started to chuckle like the psycho he was then. She'd thought it was over. That's where the stranger showed up. He regarded the situation with calm confidence, like he stopped this every day. 47

"I said leave boy!" Her attacker growled when her savior refused to walk away. 48

"And I said to let the girl go!" Although softer his voice held more power. It was dark and sinister, enough to freeze the blood in Alyssa's veins and worry the man holding her. Although cold and piercing his sharp voice rang with an unnatural musical tone that made it alluring. She wasn't sure if she should fear him or praise him. 49

"And I said leave!" He snapped again, "Hey what's your name anyway?" 50

"Jack." The word sent shivers down Alyssa's spine. 51

"Alright then Jack, leave and forget what you saw here, if you value your own life!"52

"I'm afraid I can't do that." And with a mighty pull he yanked the man away from her and punched him in the stomach. The man emitted a whoosh and doubled over. 53

"You don't know who you're messing with!" He roared straightening out again. He charged the stranger like an angry bull, a switchblade gleaming in his hand. 54

"No you don't know who you're messing with." The younger's eyes narrowed dangerously and he pulled out a cane. From where Alyssa didn't know, he hadn't had it before, but there it was, gleaming black in front of him pointed to the gut of the other. 55

The stalker smirked and made to bat the slim object away, apparently he didn't share Alyssa's concerns about where it came from. 56

Before he could even touch it Jack thrust it forward. It was so fast Alyssa hadn't realized the capacity of what had happened until her attack sputtered and dropped his blade to the ground. Eyes wide in what was only pure shock, a thin line of blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth. Noticing the red crawling down his face Alyssa finally noticed the object she took to be a cane was actually a saber and it was protruding form the back of the stalking drunk, an odd crimson sheen to it. 57

Feeling her stomach churn at the sight, Alyssa feared she wasn't far from throwing up. The stranger pulled out the sword in a swift movement and the body of the man keeled over, with unsteady dying breaths. 58

The sick smack of his body hitting pavement was all it took for Alyssa to break her frightened silence. 59